A cable tie, wire tie or zip tie is a common type of fastener for holding items together, such as electric cables and wires. Typically, a cable tie includes a sturdy nylon tape with an integrated gear rack and a ratchet on one end within a small open case. Once the tip of the cable tie is pulled through the case and past the ratchet, it cannot be pulled back. Instead, it may only be tightened.
Due to their low cost and ease of use, cable ties are popular for a variety of different uses, such as law enforcement, medical environments and other industrial applications. Although cable ties are relatively easy to use, they suffer from a significant disadvantage. They are typically designed as single-use devices as they must be cut off rather than loosened and reused. For example, cable ties are often used to erect temporary barriers or displays and several ties may be used. However, once erected, it may be determined that the display or barrier needs to be moved or it is not properly positioned, so the wire tires must be cut to take down the barrier or display and then new cable ties must be used, which is both costly and inefficient.
Another common type of fastening device is a hose clamp or hose clip, which is a device that serves various uses, including attaching and sealing a hose onto a fitting in a substantially permanent manner. Although hose clamps may serve a useful purpose in tightening around something, they also suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, they are not particularly aesthetically pleasing, they take a significant amount of time to use and they rust after a period of time and, thus, have to cut or broken off and replaced.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more aesthetically pleasing device for use in a number of applications, including clamping and binding either in a temporary or permanent manner. The device should act as a clamp and may be easily tightened, removed and reused.